Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for synthesizing biodegradable poly(butylene succinate).
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) is prepared using heavy metal compounds as catalysts, such as stannous octoate, stannous chloride, dibutyltin oxide and alkoxyl antimony. However, these metal catalysts are toxic and non-environmentally friendly. Also, the resulting PBS synthesized via direct polycondensation has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of less than 1.4×105, which limits the applications thereof. To synthesize PBS products with a weight average molecular weight equal to or larger than 1.4×105, a chain extender such as isocyanate is employed. However, the chain extender is also toxic.